Black Gate Online, September 29, 2013

“Vestments of Pestilence” by John C. Hocking

Reviewed by Louis West

In John C. Hocking’s novelette “Vestments of Pestilence” an Archivist and his Legionnaire companion, Lucella, are called by princess Eurythenia Flavius to verify an ancient Old Southron magical artifact. Eurythenia seeks to use this artifact to placate her father, the King, who’d placed her under house arrest for threatening to expose her brother as a dealer in illegal joy potions. The container is Old Southron, but the mask within, the true artifact, is much older. Unfortunately, the mask is bait for a trap set by Eurythenia’s brother, and its caretaker attempts to assassinate her. Surrounded by a burning villa and soldiers intent on lethal mayhem, the Archivist must don the mask to become the very demon sent to kill the princess in order to rescue her, and hope he survives.

While I enjoyed the fast-paced action in the second half of this story, I found the first part filled with too many setting and character descriptions plus background information to feel any sense of tension. I would have enjoyed seeing the Archivist and Legionnaire in action more—they seemed like very intriguing characters.